‘Tis the season for one-pot meals, slow cooker recipes, and deciding whether you want to eat dinner at 4:30 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. That’s right, it’s time for all the spring sports to start again, and those weekly practice nights are about to get wild. Whether you have one kid in sports or several doesn’t matter — it all feels kind of chaotic. Even if the only practice night you have is one hour of t-ball. There’s just something about those weeknight practices that throws everyone off, so having a line-up of easy practice night dinners is a must to come out on the other side.
We’re entering our third soccer season in my own family, and I’ve finally learned that it’s just best if we all eat when we get home. But that means I love a slow cooker meal or a one-pot dish that I can prep a bit beforehand so when we walk in the door and kick off cleats and run showers at 7:30 p.m., I can go ahead and start plating up meals. This list of easy practice night dinners has lots of protein-heavy, veggie-loaded dishes so your kids are nice and full (but not too full) before practice, as well as a bunch of recipes you can throw in the slow cooker in the morning and eat when you all get back home. No matter how your family’s dinner schedule works out, there’s a recipe on this list to try to hopefully make those sports nights a bit easier. (Another hack? Just go ahead and throw those clothes straight in the wash when you get home.)
5-Ingredient Tomato Soup
This 5-ingredient tomato soup from Pinch of Yum is so ridiculously easy — it’s the perfect practice night dinner. Whip it up with some grilled cheese sandwiches on the side and you’ve got a great, filling dinner for before or after practice.
Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
If you want a dish that’s easy to customize and get on the table, it’s this roasted veggie enchilada recipe from Gimme Some Oven. You can change up the veggies inside, customize with different cheeses and sauces, and you can either prep it all and throw it in the oven right after practice, or serve earlier in the day. It’s light enough that anybody who has a couple of enchiladas can still run suicide drills at practice in an hour.
Slow Cooker Creamy Garlic Chicken & Veg
A slow cooker is forever your friend, but especially on busy nights. This slow cooker creamy garlic chicken and veggies recipe from Damn Delicious makes an incredibly scrumptious dinner with hardly any work from you, and you can customize it with your family’s favorite vegetables.
Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
I love an easy chicken breast recipe and this one is so good. From A Spicy Perspective, this recipe for cheesy, spinach-stuffed chicken is perfect for a weeknight dinner that fills everyone up, but is still super easy. Serve your favorite veggies, potatoes, or macaroni and cheese on the side. This would be great chopped up on a salad or with some pasta, too.
Sausage, Black Beans, & Rice Skillet
Isn’t a skillet meal just the absolute best? Try this on your next practice night: Mexican sausage, black beans, and rice skillet from A Spicy Perspective. You can have this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes, and it’s packed full of protein and all the good things for a not-too-heavy practice night dinner.
Easy Taco Casserole
Don’t sleep on casseroles, y’all. This super easy taco casserole from The Comfort of Cooking is unreal, and you can prep it in advance for an even quicker weeknight dinner. It’s easy to customize, and it’s nice and hearty, but not so much that your kiddo won’t be ready to handle whatever comes at practice.
Tuna Melt
One thing I’ve changed about my own dinner mindset is reminding myself that food is food. And sandwiches for dinner? Those totally count. This recipe for tuna melts is a great one to add into your weekly rotation, and you can pair them with fresh fruit, veggies, or even a bag of chips for a quick, easy practice night dinner.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken & Broccoli
If your family loves a little kick, throw together this crockpot buffalo chicken and broccoli. Throw some rice on the side for a full, balanced meal that just took you dumping some ingredients into your slow cooker and letting it go.
One-Pot Teriyaki Chicken & Rice
A good one-pot recipe is a must on busy sports nights, and this one-pot teriyaki chicken and rice is an especially great one. Loaded up with veggies and protein and just enough sauce, this will keep your kiddos full and energized for a big night of drills and scrimmages. It’s also a super easy, fast dinner to make if you’d rather everyone eat when you get home.
BBQ Chicken Nachos
Sheet pan nachos are the perfect practice night dinner. They’re easy to grab, easy to eat, and majorly filling all while being a crowd pleaser for the whole family. This recipe makes BBQ chicken nachos, and you can easily customize your toppings or even through some tortillas out for wraps instead of nachos.
Slow Cooker Pizza Soup
Carbs and protein are always a great choice before doing some kind of intense activity, and this slow cooker pizza soup from Baked by Rachel has plenty of both. It’s packed with flavor, too, but feels lighter than serving up pizza on a practice night. You can totally customize this with your family’s favorite toppings, too.
Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Want something loaded up with nutrients and a comfort food? This recipe for cauliflower mac and cheese from Jessica in the Kitchen might be the perfect choice. It’s nice and thick and super cheesy, but with cauliflower florets instead of noodles, it’s a lighter choice for practice night whether your kids eat before or after.
Chinese Scrambled Eggs & Tomatoes
This recipe for Chinese scrambled eggs and tomatoes from Two Red Bowls is the ultimate comfort food that’s still loaded with all the good things you want your kid to eat before they jump into practice. It’s a classic dish for many Chinese families, and is super easy to whip up for a nice, protein-dense dish.
Whether your family likes to eat before or after practice, there’s an easy dish on this list for those busy sports nights.
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